Just got around to reading my February 2008 "Runners World" magazine,
did not realize there was an article in there about elite marathoner
Ryan Shay who died at mile 5.5 of the New York city November 3, 2007
marathon. I am by no means a runner, marathoner, what ever, unless you
count my favorite Minnesota race, the reindeer run, but I was saddened
when I heard about his death, just 28 years old. I thought for sure we
would see the two Ryans: Shay and Hall for sure at the olympics in
Beijing side by side. I was shocked. And after reading the article,
still dumbfounded by his early unexplainable death. It was a great
article, that is why I still subscribe, because you don't have to be a
runner to appreciate the athletic abilities of these kids. The
committment, the strength, the heart, it motivates me just reading
about it.
I have strep throat so I stayed home from work for the first time in
probably over a year, I usually don't get sick so this SUCKS, hopefully
this is my sick bout before I leave for Mexico for the Bikram teacher
training. Man, it has been a challenge to stay focused and not continue
to have thoughts pop into my head about backing out, my money has been
sent, the plane tickets bought, but I still have these nagging doubts
about leaving my family for 9 weeks, studying the dialogue (tough) and
the logistics.. But then I read an article like this and say to myself,
people before me have faced greater challenges and made it or not but
it is the act of doing it that matters. Man, if you don't know what
strep throat feels like, imagine you poured flammable liquids in your
mouth and lit it with a match, eww it hurts. Go to the doctor if your
throat feels like that. I have a high pain tolerance but this was bad,
my husband had to force me go to the clinic cause I was still in
denial, doing the salt water gargle. I chose to get a shot of
antibiotics in the gluteus maximus so I would'nt have to take
antibiotics for 10 days because I thought it would be too close to my
departure date to have to be concerned about pills, 3 times a day. But
that sucked too, it is thick like elmers glue, they put it in a syringe
(cold cause it has to be refrigerated) and have to slowly put it into
the shot site. A little uncomfortable, it was'nt too bad until It
started bleeding. Oh well, too much information. I will still take the
shot over the pills any day, my diet is to unpredictable, my job with
the meal interruptions, training demands throughout the day, better to
get the shot.